KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Professor Paul Kei Matsuda
Arizona State University, USA
Paul Kei Matsuda is Professor of English and Director of Second Language Writing at Arizona State University. He is Founding Chair of the Symposium on Second Language Writing and Series Editor of the Parlor Press Series on Second Language Writing. Paul has published widely in applied linguistics, writing studies and TESOL, and has received a number of prestigious awards for his publications. A frequent traveler, he has been invited to present keynote and plenary talks as well as lectures and workshops in various countries and regions. He has held visiting professor positions at universities in many countries, giving lectures, workshops, and academic consultations. Paul serves as an English Language Specialist for the US Department of State, and was recently chosen as one of the 30 most impactful Specialists.
Professor Stefanie Shamila Pillai
Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
Professor Dr. Stefanie Shamila Pillai FASc began her career as an English language and literature teacher at a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur after completing her B.Ed. TESL (Hons.) in the UK. She is currently a Senior Professor at the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya (UM), and a member of UM’s Board of Directors. She was previously Dean of her Faculty and headed UM’s Happiness and Social Advancement Research Cluster as well as the Centre for Industry and Community Engagement. Her research interests include varieties of English, particularly Malaysian English, language use in education (including language policy) and in multilingual contexts. She is also known for her work on Melaka Portuguese (Papia Kristang). She was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and is among the few researchers in the area of Social Sciences to receive the Top Research Scientists Malaysia 2024 award. Her recent publications include the edited volumes, Contemporary Malaysian English Pronunciation and Making Research Count: Bridging Community, Empowering Change and Impacting Society, and chapters in the Oxford Handbook of Southeast Asian Englishes and World Englishes in Their Local Multilingual Ecologies.
Associate Professor Tamas Kiss
Sunway University, Malaysia
Tamas Kiss works as an Associate Professor at Sunway University, Centre for English Language Studies, in Malaysia. He has been involved with language teacher education programmes in Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, Latin America and South East Asia. He has delivered one-off talks and directed longer, intensive teacher development courses in more than 20 countries including Hungary, the Philippines, Lithuania, Pakistan, Iraq, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ukraine, Mexico, Nepal, etc. by invitation of universities, language teacher organizations, cultural institutions, or international publishing houses. His main research interests include language pedagogy, language teacher education, creativity, intercultural communication, the link between complex dynamic systems and education, and the role of culture in language teaching materials. He co-authored Creativity and English Language Teaching: From inspiration to implementation (2018, Palgrave Macmillan) with Alan Maley. His latest book projects include Developing intercultural learning materials (2024, Routledge) with Freda Mishan and an edited volume ). Critical Pedagogies in English Language Teaching and Learning in South East Asia (2024, USM Press) with Joanna Joseph Jeyaraj and David D. Perrodin.
Allen Davenport
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Allen Davenport is an experienced English Language Teaching (ELT) professional who specialises in training and developing teachers to instruct English learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Currently serving as the Professional Learning and Development Manager at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, he closely collaborates with ELT educators to enhance their teaching skills and improve student outcomes. With over two decades of experience, Allen possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise as a teacher, training consultant, academic director, and examiner for multiple international exam boards. He frequently presents at global conferences, sharing valuable insights on effective teaching techniques and emerging trends in English language education. Allen is passionate about investigating innovative approaches to learning, teaching, and assessment and assisting teachers in adapting their methods to meet the evolving needs of their students. Additionally, he focuses on fostering creativity and creative thinking in the classroom.
